We began the day, April 12th, with a scrumptious breakfast in the hotel at 7:30am, with croissants and fruit. We then departed for St. Gallen, a small city in the middle of the rolling Swiss fields. The architecture was unreal. We started our time in St. Gallen with a rehearsal for our Palm Sunday performance at the Cathedral. It was absolutely stunning, with gold detail everywhere and Sistine Chapel-like vaulted ceilings.
After a successful rehearsal with Yoojin playing one of Europe’s largest organs, we were rewarded with a few hours of free time. Many of us walked around and indulged in the local food, such as bratwurst and farm-fresh burgers, or bought souvenirs at the chocolate stores.
We reconnected at the Cathedral in the afternoon, where we broke into two groups for a guided tour of the city. We got to see behind restricted parts of the Cathedral and learn about the architecture and paintings. We learned about the founding of the city (which involves an encounter between a Saint and a bear) as we walked by a large wall that used to separate the Catholic and Protestant parts of the town. We then got to see inside a historic monastery. We also had access to see inside Abbey Library of St Gall, which is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. We got to wear slippers as we walked respectfully around the stacks of books. We then finished our tour and said goodbye to our awesome tour guides and headed back to the bus. When we got back to the hotel, we had a great dinner with salad, pasta, and fruit salads. Then we headed back to our rooms to relax and spend some quality time together before lights out. Another great day in Switzerland. – Written by Nick Morrison and Dorien Perry-Tillman
BC High Concert Choir 